


Under The Stars

by Shinocchi



Series: Mirthful Promises [5]
Category: DRAMAtical Murder
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Festivals, Finger Sucking, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Public Blow Jobs, Public Sex, Wall Sex, Yukata Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-14
Updated: 2014-07-14
Packaged: 2018-02-08 20:49:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1955661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shinocchi/pseuds/Shinocchi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tanabata is a day when wishes are made. It's a day when lovers reunited. </p><p>Aoba doesn't know a lot about Tanabata, but it meant something to Koujaku and there's no way he could overlook the enthusiasm in his boyfriend's face regarding the festival.</p><p>It's supposed to be something simple - an uncomplicated festival with simple wish-making procedure. But at the end of the day, Aoba discovers something more, which in turn leads to a whole new resolution. In fact, a life-changing one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Under The Stars

**Author's Note:**

> It has been centuries since I wrote Koujaku/Aoba -laughs- It's kinda hard to get solid ideas for these two although I headcanon a lot. 
> 
> This piece is written for Tanabata festival. Also known as the Star Festival, it's a festival celebrated every 7th of July (8th of August in some places) where people write wishes on colorful paper strips and hang them on bamboo branches. I personally think that it's a beautiful festival and instinctively, it kinda inspires me for a KouAo piece thanks to the mood so, here you go! 
> 
> Also inspired by the newly released [cover art](http://www.nitrochiral.com/special/dmmd_drama-cd/img/img_cd_1_koujaku-aoba.jpg) for KouAo drama cd <3
> 
> The opening of the fic is a lyrics excerpt of the Tanabata song, which obviously does not belong to me lol
> 
> I'm one week late (as usual) but better late than never ww
> 
> Self-beta'd and I apologize for any errors or mistakes.

_The bamboo leaves rustle,_

_As they waver by the eaves._

_The stars flicker,_

_Like gold and silver sand._

_The five-color paper strips I have already written._

_And as the stars continue flicker,_

_They’ll watch us from heaven._

 

“I’m leaving, Haga-san!” Aoba yelled as he slung his bag over his shoulders, picking Ren up and keeping him safe in his bag before he made a run towards the door, barely picking up what his employer was telling him.

He wasn't in a rush, actually. But he’d gotten enough headaches from the usual three and he’d decided to make a run before they decided to return.

Humming softly to his music, Aoba took a familiar turn and waved at a few of his friendly neighbors before his smile widened at the sight of the more-than-familiar building.

Almost a year had passed and yet, the overwhelming pang of warmth he felt on his chest never failed to plaster a warm smile on his face as his pace started picking up speed, bringing him closer to his _home_ with every new step he took. It was the familiar red, familiar doorsteps, and familiar pots of plants but what wiped the smile off his face was the sight of something he wasn't familiar with.

There was a tall bamboo tree in front of the door, something that wasn't there when he left for work earlier in the morning.

Glancing curiously at the new, foreign plant, he poked the branches cautiously before he made his way up the front door. Was it a gift? Or did _he_ bring them back?

There was only one way to find out.

”Koujaku?” Aoba called out once he pushed the door open to reveal an empty house.

Putting his shoes on the rack, he walked into the room, placing his bag in one corner before he woke his Allmate up.

“Aoba.”

“I think Koujaku’s not back yet. I wonder what’s up with that tree in front of our house?” Aoba said as he slumped on the bed. Koujaku’s bed was addictively comfortable. Rolling sideways, Aoba settled in his favorite position, trying hard not to fall asleep but the tranquility he was surrounded in did nothing but intensified the drowsiness in his head.

“Can you wake me up when Koujaku’s back?” Aoba said to Ren, who nodded and gave out his usual “understood” before Aoba closed his eyes, slowly drifting into sleep. But before he could properly fall asleep, he heard rustles outside the door and he sat up just in time to see Koujaku opening the door with a pot of plant in his hand.

“Yo, Aoba, you’re back early!” he said the moment he saw Aoba.

“Yeah,” Aoba responded mindlessly, eyes fixed on the pot in Koujaku’s hand. “Hey, Koujaku, were you the one who brought that huge bamboo tree home?”

“Hm? Oh, you saw that already?” Koujaku smiled, inching closer to the window as he placed the small pot of bamboo plant on the window sill.

“Well, how can I not when it’s so huge?” Aoba stared at him in disbelief. “What’s that for?”

Koujaku took a while to answer and Aoba knew that he was trying to find a way to best answer Aoba’s question, like how he always did.

“It’s Tanabata tomorrow,” he finally said, sitting beside Aoba and ruffling the other’s hair.

_Tanabata?_

Aoba wasn't very in touch with the local festivals, especially when the Midorijima society then was struggling to balance between contemporary and traditional, hence causing certain elements of the local traditions to fade away, some even lost their tracks completely.

But Koujaku always occurred to Aoba as a person who took these traditional practices seriously. He wasn't one to be particularly superstitious but for some reason, somewhere in his mind, he knew that Koujaku was still trying as hard as he could to comply with certain practices that he deemed important enough to invest his time in.

Probably this _Tanabata_ was one of those moments that Koujaku would want to cherish.

“So what do people do on this day?” Aoba asked, leaning against the headboard and stroking Ren’s fur.

“Well,” Koujaku said as he took a packet of colorful paper strips out of their bedside drawer. “You write wishes on these papers, and you hang them up on those bamboo branches.”

“Hmm,” Aoba trailed off, now looking at the packet of papers. “So it’s supposed to make your wish come true or something like that?”

“Yeah,” Koujaku smiled.

“Do you really believe in those things?” Aoba lifted a curious eyebrow. He never saw Koujaku as someone superstitious but, when it came to wish-making, he tended to grab onto any chance he could reach.

Koujaku merely gave him a bitter smile.

“Well, doesn't hurt to try.”

Something in Koujaku’s voice made Aoba swallow back whatever remaining retorts he had.

 

***

 

Koujaku was always a light sleeper. That may have contributed to how he tended to wake up before sunlight poured into the room every day. Giving a quick peck on his still-asleep boyfriend, he scrambled out of bed as quietly as he could, retrieving the packets of papers he’d kept in the drawer before he halted, the packet of cigarettes beside the papers catching his attention.

Ever since Aoba had moved in, he’d tried his best to stop smoking too much, at least not in front of him. Because every time he did that, the younger male would shoot him a glare which he would avert, a surge of guilt pooling in his chest. It was hard to hide anything from Aoba, not when Aoba was so extremely observant towards his every action. It was one fine night that Aoba finally snatched the cigarette out of his hand and put it into his mouth – resulted in him choking and coughing loudly at the unfamiliar tastes of tobacco and smoke – that they had finally put the enduring matter into their already piled up plates of stuff to handle.

_“I thought smoking makes you miserable. So I wanted to try it out for myself.”_

That was Aoba’s excuse, albeit a poor attempt to hide the fact that he wanted to understand Koujaku better, to know exactly what was troubling him.

He was almost right. Smoking didn’t make him miserable, but miserable was what made him smoke.

There was something about seeing the swirls of smoke rising into thin air that made Koujaku feel as if whatever was in his mind would disappear just like that, like how the smoke did. As if the smoke was a bearer of his negativities, drawing them out of him and making them disappear. He knew that that wasn't the case and that he was too good at deceiving himself, like how he always was. But when one was momentarily lost, he couldn't help but entrust his emotions to these illogical solutions.

Aoba was the one who'd kicked the sense into him, and, in his respect, he reckoned that he probably could just refrain himself from smoking or even showing any signs of negativity in front of him, despite knowing that he’d earned a smack from his concerned boyfriend for hiding things from him.

Sighing softly, he took one cigarette out of the box and, along with the packet of papers, paced towards the window.

Cigarette hanging loosely in between his lips, he tore the packet open, took a red-colored paper strip out and stared vacuously for a moment before he retrieved a pen from the table beside him. He tapped his head with the head of the pen for a few times before he finally started writing on it. But before he could hang the paper on the small pot of bamboo plants he’d put on the window sill, he felt a weight against his back.

“M’nin…”

His lips curved into a small smile. Hastily discarding the cigarette, he quickly hid the paper strip as he turned around, wrapping Aoba into his arms and leaning against the window sill.

“It’s still early,” he said before planting a small kiss on Aoba’s forehead.

“Ngh… Then why are you awake?” Aoba asked groggily, snuggling into Koujaku’s warm embrace, a soft snore escaping his lips.

Koujaku gave out a soft sigh, accompanied with a small smile.

“Go back to sleep, Aoba.”

“…”

Smiling bitterly, Koujaku bent down and slipped his hand under Aoba’s knees, easily scooping him up as he led them back to bed. They’d spent the previous night trimming the bamboo plant to make it looked at least a little bit more presentable. By the time they were done with it, it was well past midnight and Aoba had sneaked under the blanket after a quick mumble of ‘Goodnight’ at Koujaku.

The smell of the smoke must’ve waked him up, Koujaku cursed silently at himself. But he was lucky that Aoba was groggy enough to avoid throwing another round of lecture at him. He wanted to stop Aoba from worrying too much as much as he could.

 

 

The sun was properly up when Aoba finally woke up after a few rough prods by Koujaku which ended up with them wrestling around the bed and trying to attack each other’s sensitive spots. But there was no way Aoba could win and he’d surrendered when Koujaku prodded his ribs for the umpteenth time. Dragging himself off the bed, he walked into the bathroom to wash himself up while Koujaku prepared breakfast for them. This scene had become a daily routine for them. Although there were also times when they found enough time for themselves for a quick smooch, and sometimes something _more_ , before they properly started their day.

“Hmm? That’s quite a lot of food today, Koujaku.” Aoba’s eyes brightened, toothbrush still in his mouth as he stared at the table full of food.

“Hey, come out only when you’re done,” Koujaku nagged.

Aoba gave him a scowl before he scurried back to the bathroom and coming out few minutes later to settle himself on the dining table.

“I thought it’d be nice to have a change once a while,” Koujaku started explaining. “Since it’s Tanabata today as well.”

“What does that have to do with food?” Aoba asked, taking the bowl of rice off Koujaku’s hand.

Koujaku didn’t answer. But Aoba knew him too well to know what was in his mind.

It was another _just because_. And he was surprisingly fine with the repeated answer of Koujaku’s every time he posed something seemingly “hard” at him.

 

 

While Aoba dressed himself up, Koujaku sat at the corner of the bed, hologram up and reading something on the screen before Aoba pushed him on the shoulder.

“What about work?”

“Hmm? What about that?” Koujaku hummed, eyes still glued to the screen.

“Don’t you need to work today?” Aoba perked a curious eyebrow. Koujaku always left the house before Aoba, and the fact that he was still half-naked, without any intention to prepare himself, made Aoba curious.

“I’m taking a day off today,” Koujaku said.

Aoba stared at him for a few moments before he gave out a small hum.

“Ren, connect me to Haga-san, please,” he said as Ren nodded.

Koujaku was still reading on his screen until he heard a faint “yeah, I’m fine, don’t worry. I just need some rest.” from Aoba, in which he finally lifted his head to find Aoba taking his jacket off.

“Oi, Aoba, aren't you going out?”

“I just called in sick,” Aoba said nonchalantly as he collapsed beside Koujaku.

“What? Why?” Koujaku asked, eyes brightened up in surprise.

“Well, you’re staying in. And today’s supposed to be an important day, right?”

“Yeah, but…”

A glare was all it took for Aoba to silence Koujaku up. Leaning against the hairdresser’s arm, he stared at the ceiling, cuddling Ren in his arm while Beni closed the hologram screen and rested on top of Ren’s head.

“So what should we do today?” Aoba asked loudly, as if asking Koujaku to take up the responsibility for turning him into a jobless man today.

Unable to conceal his happiness, Koujaku encircled his arm around his small boyfriend’s waist, pulling him closer and planting a small kiss at the back of his neck, causing Aoba to shiver slightly upon feeling the soft and warm sensation on his sensitive spot. One thing Koujaku loved about Aoba’s short hair was how easy he could access to his neck, a place he knew would draw out one of the best responses from Aoba.

“We can start with counting wishes,” Koujaku mumbled against Aoba’s skin, swarming Aoba’s entire body with more goosebumps.

“H-How?” Aoba stuttered, hands gripping weakly at Koujaku’s arm on his waist.

“Hmm,” Koujaku hummed, the vibration Aoba felt at the back of his neck made his shiver. “You see the paper strips over there? That’s where we’re going to write down our wishes. Then we’ll hang them up and wait for them to come true.”

“Oh, okay,” Aoba replied shortly, not knowing what else he could say.

“But for now, can you grant me one wish?” Koujaku’s voice almost sounded like a whisper now as he wrapped his arms even firmer over Aoba’s waist, pressing their skins together and nuzzling their cheeks together.

But instead of the compliance Aoba would always give him, what he received was a flick of finger in between his eyes as he witnessed Aoba turning around to look at him angrily.

“I didn't pretend to be sick just to stay in the bed entire day with you, you know?” Aoba glared.

Smiling bitterly, Koujaku rubbed the spot where Aoba had just hit him.

“Then let’s start writing down wishes,” he said, pointing his chin at the scattered paper strips on the table.

That was when Aoba gave him a smile as they proceeded to move towards the small table.

 

***

 

“Hmmm…”

Aoba balanced the pen in between his nose and his lips, a frown visible on his face as he stared tensely at the piece of blue paper in front of him.

“Don’t worry about having too many wishes. You can write as many as you want,” Koujaku said upon noticing Aoba’s struggle.

“Hmmm…” Aoba hummed, the scowl in between his eyebrows deepened.

“Or it could be a blessing, or an appreciation message. Anything positive,” Koujaku continued, an attempt to help Aoba out.

Eyes brightening at his boyfriend’s words, Aoba took the pen in his hand and started scribbling on the paper. Koujaku tried not to peek too much, although the temptation was a bit too strong for him to resist; but it proved needless when Aoba hold the paper up for him to read.

“’ _I hope Grandma lives strong and healthy forever_.’” Koujaku read before a bitter smile formed on his face.

“What? I could wish for something like this right?” Aoba scowled, unsatisfied with Koujaku’s response.

“Yeah… Yeah, of course you can,” Koujaku replied. He didn't have the heart to tell Aoba that it wasn't possible, especially with the word ‘forever’, and Aoba’s unhappy face was not something he wanted to see so early in the morning, let alone the gloomy atmosphere that would tend to surround him whenever he planted the idea that something may happen to Tae in the years to come.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Aoba voiced out, moving towards the window as Koujaku stopped his scribbles on his own yellow piece of paper. “You’re thinking that it’s not realistic and that it won’t come true, right?”

“Ah, that’s not exactly what I mean but…” Koujaku halted, unsure of how to continue.

Aoba merely gave him a pout. And after he hung the piece of paper on the bamboo plant, he sat back down beside Koujaku and glared at Koujaku’s paper instead.

“I don’t see how ‘ _I hope Aoba would always stay happy_ ’ is realistic anyway,” he retorted. “There’ll be unhappy days and there’ll be things I can’t help.”

Koujaku could only smile bitterly. Who was he to tell Aoba off anyway? Ruffling Aoba’s hair, he stood up and hung the piece of paper beside Aoba’s on the bamboo plant before they proceeded to write more wishes and blessings (‘ _I want to earn more money this year_ ’, ‘ _I hope the three kids would grow up and become more mature already_ ’, ‘ _I hope Grandma won’t shout at me for finally finding out I forgot to lock the door when I left yesterday_ ’). Both Ren and Beni had their share of paper strips too, although Beni kept laughing at the way Ren wrote with a pen in his mouth while he smeared ink all over his own pink-colored paper.

As Aoba stood by the window, waiting for Koujaku to put up the last of his color papers on the bamboo tree outside of their house, he voiced out.

“Say, Koujaku.”

“Hmmm?” Koujaku responded as he walked into the room.

“Does the whole of Midorijima celebrate this Tanabata Festival too?” Aoba asked, his eyes fixed on the street now buzzing with the usual morning activities.

“I guess so. I saw people started decorating the streets on my way back yesterday.”

“Hmmm.”

“Why do you ask, Aoba?” Koujaku asked, standing beside Aoba and trying to find what Aoba was looking at.

“Let’s go and have a look!” Aoba suggested.

“Eh?”

“Do they have a festival? Or any activities that we could take part in?” Aoba asked, the excitement obvious in his tone.

“They don’t have any but I guess we could catch a glimpse of their decorations…”

“Alright!”

Before Koujaku could say anything, Aoba was already scrolling towards their wardrobe as he pulled it open and started fumbling around inside.

“What are you looking for?” Koujaku asked, curious.

“Where did you put my yukata, Koujaku?”

Koujaku almost choked on his own saliva. Sometimes he _really_ wondered if it was a sin for him to be able to witness such an endearing sight right in front of him.

“You don’t need to wear a yukata, Aoba. Just normal wear would do,” Koujaku answered, trying hard not to laugh too loud.

“But it’s a traditional festival, right?” Aoba turned to look over his shoulder. “You seemed to be very particular about this kind of stuff. What makes this time any different?”

He was right. Ever since Aoba knew Koujaku a bit better, ever since Scrap, and ever since they started staying together, Aoba couldn’t help but notice Koujaku possessing this abnormal sense of determination (or he would rather call it stubbornness) towards certain things that he couldn’t understand. The way he insisted to keep Aoba’s hair in a box was one very good example.

“It’s not really something huge, anyway. Just wear whatever’s comfortable for you,” Koujaku responded.

“Well, a yukata is fine with me,” Aoba retorted, still unwilling to drop his intention.

Sighing softly, Koujaku walked towards him and retrieved his dark-blue yukata from a lower drawer. The last time he wore this was during a summer festival, exactly one year back. Now that the piece of traditional clothing was once again laid out in front of them, Koujaku felt a sense of nostalgia upon seeing it and for some reason, he was almost glad that Aoba even suggested wearing it out today.

“Okay, hold on while I change,” Aoba said, hastily picking up the yukata and hurried into the bathroom.

It would take a while… or that was what Koujaku thought. Thirty minutes later Aoba was still in the bathroom, urging Koujaku to knock on the wooden door.

“Aoba? Is everything okay?”'

Silence… then.

“W-Wait a se—woah!”

That was when Koujaku crashed into the bathroom to find Aoba struggling to untie himself from a dead knot on the obi. Giving out a loud laugh, he strolled towards his pouting boyfriend and grabbed his shoulders to hold him in place.

“Stay still. Let me help you.”

His genuine intention to help was responded by Aoba’s pout as he looked away, refused to look Koujaku in the eyes.

“You should’ve called me if you need help,” Koujaku teased, pulling the piece of cloth over Aoba and straightening the front so that he could tie the obi.

“... This isn’t the first time I’m wearing this. So I thought I could handle it.”

“Obviously not,” Koujaku laughed, giving the obi a final pull before he turned Aoba around.

“Hey!”

A kiss on the forehead was all it took for Aoba to swallow back whatever retorts he had as he stared, a faint tint of pink making its way across his cheeks.

“You look cute as usual,” Koujaku mumbled, hand brushing Aoba’s hair and fingers stroking the tips of it.

“… Shut up, hippo.”

 

***

 

The Midorjima streets were barely recognizable when they finally stepped out of the house. The sun had properly risen now and for some reason, Aoba was glad that he’d decided to wear a yukata out or else he’d be risking a sweat-covered skin that would sure affect his mood for the day. After a quick bid of farewell to their Allmates, both Koujaku and Aoba stepped out to the crowded streets. The sky was filled with colorful paper decorations and more bamboos, blooming a sense of surrealist within Aoba as he looked around, suddenly aware that he’d never properly taken his own town into view across the many years he had been residing here. His mundane lifestyle was partly at fault, he figured, surprised at how enthusiastic the locals could become when it came to celebrating long-forgotten traditional festivals.

There were also decorations which were completely foreign for Aoba – like the paper kimonos on top of the bamboo pole, the many origami cranes spotted on every one of the bamboo plants, paper nets, paper trash bags, and a lot more other colorful decorations which Aoba had never seen before in his entire life. He even started suspecting if he was living in the same town when things like these happened without his knowledge. But in between Koujaku’s explanation of the meaning behind those decorations, he realized that the reason why he had never seen any of these before was because celebrations like these were never heavily celebrated when Toue was still in control, hence the lack of awareness.

Speaking of Koujaku…

Since Aoba brought up the idea of wearing a yukata into town, Koujaku had also made his own initiative to wear his own yukata – a crimson red one – to match with Aoba. Aoba wanted to tell him that it wasn't necessary before he realized that he was starting to contradict himself, hence urging him to stop himself from saying further before Koujaku went into his usual lecturing mode.

“We can write our wishes again and hang them on those bamboo trees if you want,” Koujaku suggested upon noticing the way Aoba stared at the colorful strips on the trees.

“But wouldn't that be repetitive?” Aoba asked, quirking a curious eyebrow.

“It doesn't matter. Like I said, you can write as many times as you want,” Koujaku grinned gleefully as he motioned Aoba to one of the bamboo trees in front of a shrine, where a huge crowd of people grouped around the tree.

“Here you go,” Koujaku said as he pushed few pieces of colored strips and a pen into Aoba’s hands. “Oh, and…” A faint tint of blush appeared as Koujaku gave out a soft cough before he continued. “Can we hold hands?”

_What?_

“No way!” Aoba’s response was instant.

“Why?” Koujaku asked, visibly hurt.

“There are so many people around here, it’s… embarrassing,” Aoba blushed, a scowl added on his face.

“No one will see us,” Koujaku insisted.

“What about your fans?”

“They won’t.”

But Aoba was too persistent and Koujaku let the idea go, unwilling to force himself on Aoba.

While Aoba leaned against a pillar of the shrine to write his wishes down, Koujaku was about to retrieve a few of those papers for himself when they heard loud shrieks from afar.

“Koujaku-san!”

Aoba gave out an immediate sigh. To be honest, he’d thought about this when he suggested for them to stroll around the town today. It was not like they were purposely avoiding Koujaku’s “fan clubs” but they’d want to avoid as much trouble as they could. The fact that Koujaku had stopped interacting too much with women and the fact that Aoba had moved into his household had initiated enough suspicions for people to know what was happening exactly. But no one had ever confronted them directly, besides the members from Benishigure, who’d figured out the truth even without them telling.

“Koujaku-san, are you here for the Tanabata Festival as well?” one of the women asked. She was about to grasp Koujaku’s arm but the hairdresser moved away soon enough as he flashed a smile at them.

“Yo, Akari-chan! Yeah, I’m here with…”

Aoba was nowhere to be seen.

 

It wasn't jealousy, it definitely wasn't. Even before they ended up together, Aoba was already used to seeing Koujaku hanging out with women. It was – like how Koujaku had elegantly put it – “part of work”. Throwing the stones into the river, Aoba pouted as he sat on the grass under a huge sakura tree. He’d hurriedly hung up whatever he’d managed to write on the paper strips before he sneaked away from Koujaku’s side. It had been hours since they were separated, the sun now almost sinking behind the hills.

It was definitely not jealousy, Aoba thought as he sank his head in between his knees. But he couldn't help but feel this way – the way his heart throbbed at the mere sight of women goggling at Koujaku; the way they reached out to hold Koujaku’s arm; the way Koujaku smiled so happily at them. He couldn't help any of those feelings.

Feeling incredibly pathetic, he sighed heavily before he felt a hand against his back, then a thump beside him.

“I almost got my team out to search for you.”

It was that familiar voice that had been repeating unceasingly in his head ever since he ended up strolling around the place alone. As Koujaku had said, it really wasn’t anything too fancy, nothing too extravagant, just a simple, normal celebration. And like what Koujaku had said, there wasn't even a need to get so fuss up over their clothing for just a small festival like this,

Like how there wasn't a need to get all worked up over Koujaku’s usual interaction with women.

Sweeping the hand off his back, Aoba turned away, visibly averting Koujaku’s eyes. He could feel Koujaku’s gaze on him, possibly filled with pain, but the aches he felt in his own chest occupied him enough to feel empathy towards Koujaku’s feelings now.

“Aoba?” Koujaku called out, with unmistakable cautions in his tone.

Aoba continued to ignore him. He wasn’t even angry with him. He just didn’t know how to face him with this complicated tangled bunch of emotions in his chest. But Koujaku seemed to know him better as he slumped against the grass and stared up into the sky. This wasn’t the first time it happened and Koujaku could understand why Aoba would feel this way. In fact, he was even happy for Aoba to feel so strongly for him. He was sure that he’d react even more exaggeratedly if he was to be put in Aoba’s shoes.

“Hey, Aoba. I don’t think I’ve told you about this before but do you want to know about the story of Tanabata?” Koujaku asked with a nonchalant tone, causing Aoba to turn around and peek sideways at him.

“Tanabata… story?”

“Yeah,” Koujaku said, shifting a bit so that he was now in a more comfortable position. As Aoba nodded, he settled beside Koujaku, staring at the orange sky above them, a signal of the arrival of sunset.

And without another look at Aoba, Koujaku started his story.

“It isn't a really nice story, though, thought I would want to warn you on that first,” Koujaku said with a small voice once Aoba was settled comfortably beside him. “In fact, it’s a tragic story. Long ago, there was a beautiful weaver princess named Orihime, who lived high up in the skies and who was also the daughter of the Heaven God. She weaved beautifully for her father every day but not soon after, her father became worried that she might overwork herself. Hence, he introduced her to a young cow herder by the name of Hikoboshi. It was love in first sight. Completely immersed in their emotions, both of them started neglecting their duties and across time, it angered the Heaven God.”

Aoba remained silent the entire time as he listened to Koujaku’s story, occasionally stealing a peek at the hairdresser but upon realizing that Koujaku wasn't looking at him, he shifted his gaze back to the sky, slowly noticing the feeble shadows of the stars now starting to appear beneath the clouds.

“So the Heaven God decided to separate the two with the River of Heaven, which here we referred it to the Milky Way. They weren't allowed to see each other anymore and it was more than what they could accept. Devastated, Orihime started crying every day and it hurt the Heaven God, which then prompted him to change his mind. They were given permission to see each other again but under one condition – they could only meet once a year, on the seventh day of the seventh month. However, there was a risk to their meeting. If it rains, the river would flood and they wouldn't be able to see each other. This is how the tradition began, where everyone prays for them, for their wish to come true, and in turn, for their own wishes to come true as well.”

It wasn't a very long story, in fact, it was a simple, uncomplicated one. But the emotions behind the story were real and it made Aoba think. He was sure that it wasn't his illusion that Koujaku held a certain kind of attachment towards the story. It probably meant something to him, but it was starting to frustrate Aoba for not being able to know exactly what it was.

“Say, Aoba, don’t you think the story is a bit like us?” Koujaku muttered, eyes still fixed at the darkened sky.

“Huh?”

There wasn't any relevance to him as far as Aoba could comprehend but it was obviously not the same with Koujaku.

“Well, at least for me,” Koujaku continued, as if he’d just read Aoba’s mind.

“When we were separated, I always thought of coming back. But I couldn’t. I tried running away but I turned back because of my mother. I couldn’t bear to leave her alone and at the end of the day, it seemed that I’ve ruined everything. With my own bare hands…” Koujaku trailed, his voice becoming smaller with every word he said.

“That’s not true. It’s not something you could help,” Aoba corrected him, as how he always did whenever he sensed the feeble hint of guilt in Koujaku.

Koujaku gave out a bitter laugh as he raised up one of his hands and stared fervently at it.

“Still, these were the hands which had killed my mother, which had killed everyone,” Koujaku added.

There was a moment-too-long pause in which Aoba squirmed nearer to Koujaku, their arms almost touching each other as he stretched his own hand to tangle his fingers together with Koujaku’s in midair.

“Koujaku, you’re just human. Like Hikiboshi, there are things that you couldn’t help,” Aoba said with a small smile as he felt Koujaku’s confused gaze at him. “I don’t think you need to pretend to be fine, or try to forget the past. But now I see the relevance to the story you told me.” Aoba ended with a cheerful smile which he directed at Koujaku. “Even though we were separated, you’re here now, with me. And that’s because you wanted to, you have that determination, and that’s exactly the Koujaku I know.”

It took a while, but Koujaku finally understood what Aoba was trying to tell him. No matter how lost he could be, no matter how tough the roads ahead would be, as long as the wish still remained in their hearts, they would eventually find their way back to each other.

Just like the story.

“Argh.”

Giving out a soft grunt, Koujaku sat up, scratching his head and lowering it down to stare at the grass.

“What’s wrong?” Aoba asked as he sat up as well.

“You got me,” Koujaku said before he turned around to stroke Aoba’s cheeks. “I’m so glad you are here with me, Aoba. Thank you.”

Aoba merely stared, dumbfounded, at Koujaku before a blush appeared on his face. Without another word, he grabbed Koujaku by the arm and stood up, urging the other to do the same before he dragged both of them out to the main streets.

“Hey, where are we going?” Koujaku asked as he frantically trying to keep up with Aoba’s rapid footsteps.

But Aoba remained silent. Strolling through the crowded streets, he finally stopped in an alley, a place where not one living being could be spotted as he turned around to finally look at Koujaku.

“Why do you bring me here?” Koujaku asked, curious.

“Y-You said you want to hold hands? We can do it here,” Aoba muttered, eyes averting Koujaku’s but with an obvious pout on his face.

“Here?” Koujaku laughed. “Of all places?”

Aoba scowled. “It’s fine if you don’t want to.”

He was about to withdraw his hand but Koujaku caught it firmly in his hand, halting his movements.

“No, no. Here is fine. Anywhere is fine,” Koujaku smiled, unable to contain the pang of warmth in his chest now that he witnessed how adorable Aoba could be.

It wasn't even a cue but when Aoba turned back to look at Koujaku, Koujaku found himself being confronted by one of those “something I couldn't help” moments again as he spun Aoba around and pinned him against the bricked wall.

“W-Wait, wait, Koujaku?” Aoba called out frantically. “We’re in—“

But his words were cut short when Koujaku pressed his mouth to his ear and gave his ear shell a small kiss. Finally realizing the situation he’d landed them in, Aoba glared down on either side of the street, making sure that it’s empty before he encircled his arms around Koujaku’s back. Every flash of light in the corner of his eyes and every small hint of sounds he heard heightened his alertness but as Koujaku crushed their lips together, his attention immediately captured by the feverish kiss they were sharing, in the dark alley and out in the cold.

Koujaku sucked Aoba’s tongue into his mouth, teasing it with his own and leading them into a hungry kiss. Moaning softly, Aoba dragged him closer, pressing their bodies together with his hands flattened against Koujaku’s back. He was sure that he wouldn't be so aroused if he was in his usual clothing; but the fact that he was in a yukata, with the entire front of his exposed as it was pressed against Koujaku’s sweat-slickened bare chest, the frictionless sensation wasn't helping in calming his heightened arousal down.

Koujaku’s full weight was now against him as Aoba found the brick biting into the back of his head. He was almost out of breath when he felt the weight on him lightened, and when he opened his eyes, he was astounded to see Koujaku dropping to his knees and crouching between his legs.

“K-Koujaku?” Aoba called out weakly but Koujaku merely gave him a suggestive grin before he reached out to free the knot of the obi, fully exposing the whole front of Aoba’s body.

“Stay still, Aoba. And keep your voice in control unless you want someone to hear you,” Koujaku teased. Aoba knew that he wasn't serious about that but he couldn't help feeling slightly tensed from the idea of getting caught red-handed here, now, as he instinctively pressed the back of his hand against his mouth, trying his very hard to hide his voice away.

Seeing that, Koujaku gave out a light smirk before he slipped his hand into Aoba’s boxers and pulled his cock out, the hot and hard sensation in his hand as he stroked the length with varying pressure spurred him on further. Swallowing back a choked moan, Aoba felt his knees weakened as he inhaled sharply upon feeling a slightly rough stroke on his length, one hand instantly gripping on Koujaku’s hair.

Koujaku kept his eyes locked on Aoba as he lowered his mouth over his cock and took him in until he felt the tip hitting the back of his throat. The breathy moans Koujaku heard from above him turned into an almost groan when he began to suck on the tip before he proceeded to lick at the underside of Aoba’s cock, sucking at his balls and biting on the skin. As the motion grew larger, Aoba’s attempt to force his moans back down his throat was proven useless as he started breathing open-mouthed, small moans escaping his lips while his fingers gripped ever so slightly in Koujaku’s hair, not hard enough to hurt but enough to send a pang of pleasure straight down to Koujaku’s throbbing cock.

When Koujaku released him, Aoba was fighting to keep his voice in his mouth, his lip caught between his teeth. He stared with heavy-lidded eyes filled with lust as the other stood, wiping the sweat off Aoba’s forehead and giving him a soft kiss on the cheek.

“Aoba, are you okay?”

Aoba could only nod weakly, hands gripping on Koujaku’s shoulders for support. While he tried to catch his breath, Koujaku pressed his mouth to Aoba’s again, merely brushing his parted lips but soon, the ragged moans that had managed to spill out of Aoba’s mouth urged him to suck on his lips, the sensation so rough that he was sure a bruise would form. They kissed each other messily for a while until Koujaku gripped Aoba on the hips, and with a sudden strength, he heaved the smaller man up and pressed him even firmly against the wall. With a yelp, Aoba immediately hooked his legs around Koujaku’s waist to steady himself. He still had his contemplation about doing it in a public location but when Koujaku put two of his fingers into his mouth, his own moans getting louder with every suck he gave and not long after, he found himself no longer care even if someone was to walk in on them.

Koujaku’s eyes remained locked at him the entire time Aoba was wetting his fingers, drinking in the way Aoba’s eyes fluttered, the way reds rose to his cheeks and the way sweat trickled down his face as he desperately licked on every part of Koujaku’s fingers he could reach. Unable to hold himself back any further, Koujaku pulled his fingers out of Aoba’s mouth, the glassy expression he saw from the other almost threw him off the edge, as he slipped one finger into Aoba’s hole. The strangled cry Aoba made almost stopped his action. Upon realizing it, Aoba wrapped his arms around Koujaku’s neck and pulled him into a desperate kiss, entangling their tongues together and pushing his hips down on Koujaku’s finger, urging him to continue. Koujaku had to swallow hard to remain composed. After ensuring that Aoba was completely fine, he fit another finger alongside the first, the pants from between their lips prompting him to increase his thrusts.

“Kou..Koujaku,” Aoba whispered weakly and Koujaku stopped his movements at the call of his name. “It’s fine…”

Recognizing the hint, Koujaku gave Aoba a small smile before he nodded, pulling his fingers out and holding Aoba firmer on the hips. Then, before he knew it, Koujaku was heaving him upwards, the warm and hard sensation he felt against his hole made him shiver.

For a few seconds, they just continued to stare at each other. Aoba was totally transfixed with the way flushes appeared on Koujaku’s manly features, the gentle wind seeping through them giving him a hint of glimpse of the covered tattoo behind Koujaku’s bangs. He had this huge urge to sweep his bangs away, he wanted to caress it, kiss it; if can, he wanted to make it disappear, no matter how long it would take. With that resolution in mind, Aoba raised his hand, but before he could touch Koujaku’s bang, the hairdresser gripped his hand, stopping him.

“I’m fine, Aoba,” he muttered hotly. And at that instance, Aoba realized that there was no way he could stop Koujaku’s instinct now, not when he was so feverishly in need of Aoba. His voice was dangerously low, husky even, and the way his gaze seared deep into Aoba’s made him feel as if Koujaku was peeking deep into his very soul.

When Koujaku rested his lips against Aoba’s neck, he gave out a breathy sigh. He always liked to do this, ever since he’d gotten rid of his long hair. “It’s easier to access here now” was what he’d said and Aoba had then long surrendered to his fate. He didn't dislike it, but it often caught him off guard and he’d ended up being able to do nothing else but sinking deeper into the addictive sensation Koujaku was giving him.

Then, without warning, he felt Koujaku entering him, his eyes flew open in shock but Kouaku’s short, hard thrust distracted him and made his eyes flutter close. As usual, Koujaku started off slow, carefully gauging Aoba’s reaction and being extra cautious to make sure that he was not hurting him. Aoba appreciated that concern, but with every new thrust Koujaku plunged into him, he realized that it was enough. He needed more, he needed what Koujaku would always give him.

 _He needed Koujaku_.

So he started moving his hips, a good enough hint to tell Koujaku that it was okay to speed up now. Grunting breathily, Koujaku started picking up his thrusting pace as he hold Aoba in place, breathing hotly into Aoba’s ears and muttering his name without stopping his thrusts. Aoba’s breathy pants turned into a choked moan as Koujaku took the shell of his ear between his lips and trail his tongue along it, his own pleasure intensified upon feeling Aoba shuddering beneath his hands.

“Aoba, ngh, Aoba!” he grunted, which was responded with more of Aoba’s delicious moans of his name. With each thrust, Aoba bounced up the wall a little, just to find himself sinking back deeper onto Koujaku’s cock with his weight. It was fascinating how ferocious Koujaku could be when he’d started out sweet and tender. Now, he was barely controllable, his thrusts deep and sharp and rough, constantly pushing Aoba almost over the edge.

“Koujaku! I… I’m gonna—“ Aoba cried, sinking his nails into Koujaku’s back. Upon hearing that, Koujaku stopped, just for Aoba to entangle their fingers together before he started moving again. Their lips brushed momentarily, both of them were too occupied with refilling the air back into their lungs to be able to kiss. But closeness was what they were yearning for, and right before they came, Koujaku managed to meld their lips together, their tongues tangled and a gasp escaped from Aoba straight right into his mouth, pushing him over the edge at the same time.

Attempting to calm themselves down from their high, Aoba leaned weakly against Koujaku’s shoulder, breathing heavily from the intense intimacy while Koujaku held him close, burying his head against the crook of Aoba’s neck before he slowly put him down. Aoba almost collapsed the second Koujaku let go of him, his legs shaking too much to keep him standing.

“Are you okay?” Koujaku asked, hurriedly supporting Aoba before he could collapse on the floor.

“I…I’m fine,” Aoba breathed.

They ended up sitting against the wall, regulating their breathing as they indulged in their post-orgasmic haze. The air was cold now and it didn't take long before Aoba started sneezing, urging Koujaku to wrap him firmer in his yukata and motioning them home.

 

***

 

“Oi, Aoba, are you okay?”

Cuddling under the blankets, Aoba looked at Koujaku dazedly while the latter pressed the back of his hand against his forehead.

“You’re a bit warm,” Koujaku announced as he proceeded to sit beside Aoba.

“I’m fine, probably just a cold,” Aoba answered, his voice hoarse.

“It’s definitely a cold. Argh, I’m so sorry,” Koujaku grumbled, squeezing the towel soaked with warm water dry as he placed it on top of Aoba’s head.

“And I wonder whose fault is that?” Aoba wondered loudly, shooting Koujaku a glare as he turned around and faced the ceiling.

“Sorry, I went overboard,” Koujaku smiled apologetically.

The moment they’d reached home, Aoba had collapsed into the bed after hastily taking his yukata off. Koujaku was about to hush him into the bathroom before Aoba could jump into bed but the abnormally deep flush on Aoba’s face had trapped his words in his throat, urging him to check on his boyfriend before finally concluding that he had caught a cold. A thorough clean up later, he sank into bed with Aoba, holding the smaller man close in his arms. Aoba would have retorted but his head was too drowsy and heavy to mutter another word so he merely allowed Koujaku to do whatever he wanted, slowly sinking into sleep while he felt the soft, warm breath hitting the back of his neck.

 

The next time he woke up, he was drenched in sweat. Quietly and carefully struggling out of Koujaku’s embrace, Aoba pulled the nearest shirt he could find and wrap it over his body. A quick glance at the clock on the wall told him that it was 2:00 a.m. and, yawning softly, he walked towards the opened window, feeling the cold night air brushing through his skin as he glanced down the now-quiet streets.

The medicines Koujaku had fed him before he dozed off to sleep seemed to have done its job. Feeling more refreshed than when he’d just got back, Aoba stretched silently. It wasn’t common for him to be awake when Koujaku was asleep and he found that new experience uplifting in a way. Eyes wandering along the street, his gaze eventually stopped in front of their front door, where the bamboo tree still stood tall and proud. The colorful paper strips danced gracefully with the rhythm of the breeze, drawing a small smile on Aoba’s face upon realizing how many wishes and dreams he and Koujaku had put together. It made him happy to know that they were to walk their paths together, and it made him extremely relieved to know that Koujaku was now heading forward, unlike the Koujaku who had staggered and occasionally stopped his pace when his past tended to pull him back.

Speaking of which… As Aoba recounted the numerous wishes he’d penned down, he realized that he knew nothing of Koujaku’s wish, minus the one that he’d managed to peek when Koujaku teased him about _his_ wish. Overcame by curiosity, he made careful steps down to their front door, stopping beside the bamboo tree and trying to make out Koujaku’s beautiful handwriting under the weak moonlight.

“ _I wish Aoba would always be happy._ ”

He chuckled. Seemed like Koujaku still insisted to put it up even though Aoba had told him that it’d be impossible.

“ _I wish Aoba would always stay healthy_.”

“ _I wish Aoba would learn how to cook better next time_.”

“ _I wish Aoba would grow taller._ ”

“ _I wish Aoba would always have good luck_.”

“ _I wish…_ ”

A lot of the wishes were for Aoba, Aoba, and Aoba. Although happy, Aoba couldn’t help but feel a slight tinge of pain in his chest. Koujaku cared so much for him, but yet, all he’d written down for his own wishes were for himself, his grandma, and some for Koujaku. He knew that Koujaku wouldn't mind a bit, but still…

Swallowing down a gulp, he continued looking around the branches until a piece of red-colored strip caught his attention. It was tied pretty deep within the tangled branches so he reached out, careful not to scratch himself, and turned the paper strip over to read the content.

 

“ _I wish you are happy wherever you are. I’m sorry, Mother.”_

 

“Aoba?”

He didn’t even have the time to properly contain the sudden surge of emotions within him when he heard Koujaku’s voice. Hastily turning around to meet Koujaku, he forced a smile out as he walked towards the hairdresser.

“Hey.”

“What are you doing out here?” Koujaku asked, quickly making space for Aoba to step into the room.

“I can’t sleep. So I thought of taking a walk,” Aoba explained, trying his very hard to act normal.

“Seriously. You’re still having a cold. Don’t walk out alone at night,” Koujaku reprimanded.

“Okay, okay. I’m sorry.”

They went back to sit on the bed, Koujaku leaning his head against the headboard while Aoba resting his head against the older man’s arm, both of them unable to go back to sleep. The few words he’d just read from the paper strip still burned intensely in his head, causing him to be unable to keep it off his mind. He had never gave _that_ a thought. He thought Koujaku was done with whatever business he had in the mainland; but apparently, it was more than what he thought. When Koujaku started stroking his hair, he looked up, and was surprised to see that Koujaku was staring into space, visibly thinking of something.

“Koujaku,” Aoba called out with a small voice.

“Hm?”

“I…”

He wanted to say something. _Anything_. Anything that would wipe the sorrow off Koujaku’s face. But there was nothing he could say now and all he could do was gaping at the curious man. He knew nothing about this side of Koujaku. He never knew exactly how Koujaku felt about the entire incident. And at that point of time, he almost felt as if he didn’t even have the rights to tell him anything. As they stared awkwardly at each other, Koujaku gave out a loud laugh, distracting Aoba’s thoughts immediately.

“What’s wrong with you? Admiring my manliness?” Koujaku asked as he pinched Aoba’s nose, causing the other to scowl and struggle violently.

“Stop, stop, stop!” Aoba struggled, breathing in a lungful of air once Koujaku released his grip on his nose.

He was always like that. Whenever Aoba was about to probe on his scar, he’d give out this goofy attitude and brush him off as if nothing was wrong. But Aoba knew Koujaku too well, in fact, a bit too well to know that he was actually trying to hide things from him again. And sometimes, it pissed him off.

But this time wasn't part of the ‘sometimes’. Aoba knew that Koujaku would need more time to properly open up to him and he didn't blame him a single bit. There were still some areas of Koujaku that he had yet to set foot in but it was fine. They had time, and he wanted Koujaku to do things with his own pace. He wanted to support Koujaku, to be there when he needed support.

Overloaded with emotions, Aoba squirmed nearer to Koujaku and, unconsciously, planted a kiss on the black swirls on Koujaku’s skin, instantly earning a jolt and a hitch of breath from the hairdresser as he stared wide-eyed at Aoba.

“A-Aoba?”

“Next time…” Aoba muttered against Koujaku’s skin.

“…hm?”

“Next time, we’ll visit her together, okay?”

He could clearly hear the small gasp from above him, the small shiver he felt against his lips told him that Koujaku was almost breaking down. But like the Koujaku he knew, he stayed composed as he reached out to stroke on Aoba’s hair. And when Aoba looked up at him, the small, gentle smile plastered on Koujaku’s face instantly sent a pang of complicated emotions into his chest.

“Yeah,” Koujaku whispered, now stroking Aoba on the cheek. “Sure.”

His words were few but the determination in his voice was all Aoba needed to sit up and give him a soft kiss on the tattoo on his face, then on his lips.

Koujaku didn't need to pretend to be fine. No matter how Koujaku felt, no matter how weak or strong he was, Aoba wanted to be by his side – to support him, and to walk their future together with him. One day, they would create enough important memories and one day, these memories would finally overcome their inner demons.

One day, they would be genuinely happy.

That was what Aoba firmly believed in.

 

“ _I wish Koujaku would be genuinely happy one day, being the true real man he really is._ ”

 

It wasn't just a wish; it was a lifelong commitment.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I have to take out a scene because it was getting too long :"( 
> 
> But anyhow, it was a scene of Koujaku & Aoba releasing the origami on the river, which I couldn't find anywhere to slot in without disrupting the flow. This scene is beautiful in my head but I guess sometimes we just couldn't have everything we want.
> 
> Thanks for reading :)


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